The death of the clan patriarch has thrown the tiny Shetland Islands community of Whales Reef into turmoil. Everyone assumed MacGregor Tulloch's heir to be his grand-nephew David, a local favorite, but when it is discovered that MacGregor left no will, David's grasping cousin Hardy submits his own claim to the inheritance, an estate that controls most of the island's land. And while Hardy doesn't enjoy much popular support, he has the backing of a shadowy group of North Sea oil investors. The courts have frozen the estate's assets while the competing claims are investigated, leaving many of the residents in financial limbo. The future of the island--and its traditional way of life--hangs in the balance.

Loni Ford is enjoying her rising career in a large investment firm in Washington, DC. Yet in spite of her outward success, she is privately plagued by questions of identity. Orphaned as a young child, she was raised by her paternal grandparents, and while she loves them dearly, she feels completely detached from her roots. That is until a mysterious letter arrives from a Scottish solicitor. . . .

Past and present collide in master storyteller Phillips's dramatic new saga of loss and discovery, of grasping and grace, and of the dreams of men and women everywhere.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

David Tulloch drove the remaining mile out of the village to the house he affectionately referred to as his "wee cottage," to distinguish it from the Cottage of the laird which had stood vacant in the three months since Macgregor Tulloch's death.

He had not expected the legalities and protocols to take quite this long. He had continued to pay his uncle's hired help out of his own pocket until the estate was settled. Keeping the Cottage and Auld Hoose functioning somewhat normally, however, was a different matter than a factory of three dozen employees with families to feed.

This news from Murdoc was a serious blow. Obviously the drying up of funds to meet the payroll must be due to some delay in resolving his uncle's estate. Like the rest of the island, the Mill property was owned by the laird. But why income from sale of the Mill's woolen products had stopped flowing was of serious concern.

He had always assumed that the regular monthly stipend he received had been provided for him in his parents' wills. However, his stipend had ceased in August too, exactly as Murdoc said was the case with deposits to the Mill's account. He had been so busy he had put off investigating it. For the immediate present he had had enough income from other sources for the matter not to have been pressing.

It now looked like he should have been more proactive about finding out what was going on. Especially if the two situations were related. A disruption in both his and the Mill's bank accounts at exactly the same time could hardly be a coincidence....

From the Back Cover

The death of clan patriarch Macgregor Tulloch has thrown the tiny Shetland Islands community of Whales Reef into turmoil. Everyone assumed Tulloch's heir to be his much-loved grandnephew David. But when no will is discovered, David's calculating cousin Hardy submits his own claim to the inheritance, an estate that controls most of the island's land. And Hardy knows a North Sea oil investor who will pay dearly for that control.

While the competing claims are investigated, the courts have frozen the estate's assets, leaving many of the locals in dire financial straits. The future of the island--and its traditional way of life--hangs in the balance.

Meanwhile, Loni Ford enjoys a rising career in a large investment firm in Washington, D.C. Yet, in spite of outward success, she is privately plagued by questions of identity. Orphaned as a young child, she was raised by her grandparents, and while she loves them dearly, she feels completely detached from her roots. That is, until a mysterious letter arrives from a Scottish solicitor. . . .

Past and present collide in master storyteller Michael Phillips' dramatic new saga of loss and discovery, of grasping and grace.

"The first in Phillips' new Secrets of the Shetlands series is a comprehensive saga told in alternate viewpoints, in various geographical locations, weaving the past with the present...as soon as the plot is revealed and secrets start to come out, there's a sense of nervous excitement for where it will lead. Phillips does what he does best: creates visually stunning stories with rich history, intriguing backdrops and an ending that will have readers craving a sequel."--RT Book Reviews

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Michael Phillips is one of my favorite authors: he obviously does thorough research when he writes and although he includes romance there is not the explicit sexual content that one finds in many current books. His stories are page turners; I don't want to stop reading. As a Christian, this writer appeals to me because I can enjoy a fiction tale while feeling that I do not have to 'skip' over explicit episodes. I love history and the details of the time period are found in each of Michael Phillips' books. He show the accurate details of the setting, the lifestyle and character development that are pertinent to the story. The Shetland Islands are such a unique location. The character development begins on page one and the reader gets glimpses and new insights of each character as the pages are turned.In this first book of this series the plot develops gradually until an unexpected turn occurs..One of the main characters is devoted to those islanders that are under his care; this leader puts the needs of others before himself. II will be ordering the next in this series today.

He’s published 23 works of non-fiction. He’s edited 27 works of the Scottish writer George MacDonald, whose books had such an impact on C.S. Lewis. He’s edited five works of Harold Bell Wright and Ralph Connor. (Wright was the first American to sell more than one million copies of a novel, and the first American writer to earn more than $1 million. I’ve read only one of his works, “The Shepherd of the Hills.” Connor was a Canadian novelist.) Phillips has also co-authored 13 novels with his wife Judith Pella, and written more than 40 original novels.

My introduction to his writing happened some three decades ago, when the edited versions of George MacDonald’s books began to be published. While the books were widely popular in 19th century Britain, they contained large chunks of Scottish dialect and detailed descriptions that wouldn’t work as well with modern readers. I read quite a few of the novels, chiefly on the knowledge that C.S. Lewis loved them.

I also knew that Phllips was especially fond of writing trilogies, except they’re less trilogies and more three-part novels. One of his novels called “The Inheritance” popped up in an ad. Having been surprised once years ago, when an author published book one of a supposed trilogy that turned out to be a three-volume novel without explanation or disclaimer, I checked. And, yes, “The Inheritance” was the first installment of a three-part novel.

It’s a story about a fictitious island in The Shetlands called Whale’s Reef. For centuries the island has been largely owned and managed by the laird of the Tulloch clan. The current laird, Macgregor Tulloch, dies without a will, although most on the island believe his chief and a great-nephew, David Tulloch, would become the new laird. But complications with the estate arise, and another great-nephew, fisherman Hardy Tulloch, makes a claim. David is generally loved by the people of Whale’s Reef and Hardy is rightfully seen as something of a bully.

But it turns out that there’s someone with a stronger direct claim, a young American named Loni Ford. She works at an investment firm in Washington, D.C., and is enjoying early success. Raised by her Quaker grandparents, she knows little about her own parents or the families they came from. As it turns out, her mother is the direct descendant of “the old laird,” Macgregor’s father.

And complicating all of this is the designs of a rather stereotyped, flamboyant Texan who’s determined to gain control of Whale’s Reef to build an oil refinery. That will likely mean the end of the island’s fishing and wool industries which employ almost all of its people.

Phillips has a gift for telling a good story. I started reading skeptically – I was suspicious that a three-part novel could hold my attention. Well, the skeptic was wrong. I’m hooked. The second in the “Secret of the Shetlands” series is “The Cottage” and the third is “The Legacy,” just published July 4.

“The Inheritance” is the start of what promises to be a great family saga.

A cliffhanger ending obviously sets up the second installment of a new series. This was mostly interesting, but there were so many names that I wanted to consult a family tree more than once throughout the story. It sometimes felt disjointed in the time-settings, such as the end, which flashed back to 1953 out of the blue.I'm not from Texas, but was offended by an '80's JR Ewing caricature showing up in a 21st century novel. The TX oilman talking about "ropin' the little filly" was just plain silly. His stereotype was overdone.The faith elements are minor, with hints of quiet, godly strength in a small few of the characters.

Michael Phillips has really developed his writing over the years. He has written so many great books, but this one zeros in on character, which is what I am particularly interested in. The characters are hard to follow as he deals with generations and the heritage left behind by people who care about what has been in trusted into their care. It also reveals how Lords (landlords,) called Lairds care about the people who live in the houses they own and how the community works. It also shows how God works in the hearts and minds of people who are his, and even beyond our lives to future generations. You can learn a lot by enjoying this book, it's a good one!

And much of the plain English dialogue is stilted. This could have been a novella to precede The Cottage. There are some really sweet scenes that take place on the island, but I agree with another reviewer who said that much of the book reads like character sketches--the background and character development an author uses to craft a complex and consistent character. If published, they tend to be what you read after the primary novel when you can't get the character out of your head. Loni, whose real name is much prettier, could have had a one-chapter backstory. Hugh, a few chapters in that (we can see from the dinner scene with him that he's dead weight). Hardy is still a flat lifeless bad guy. The Texan oil guy didn't even have to show up yet as an individual person. This should have been a 100 page novella with glimpses of Loni's history, the island as it is, and David's history and present. David's story explains why the matter of who is Laird is so very important to the island. That is the purpose of a prequel novella.

Excellent development of characters - really interesting story. Kept you interested with the characters until everything came together. As always, great writing by Michael Phillips. You'll want book two on hand when you finish book one!

This book was absolutely amazing... as are all books published by this author! My only complaint is that I wish he would write a bit faster. ;-) The book is very captivating. Really hard to put down once started. I can always rely on Michael Phillips to deliver a super interesting, clean read. He certainly accomplished it in this book!